We're Predicting These 10 Food Trends For LA In 2024

2023 was full of plenty of highs and lows for L.A.'s food scene. The lasting imprint of the pandemic continued to weigh heavily on restaurants and the dining experience. Outdoor dining became a permanent fixture, but food and labor costs hit at an all-time high, and inflation remained central for both business owners and diners alike.

Yet despite those hardships, the dining scene in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas remains as dynamic as ever, with various creative forces forging forward, expanding how we think about food.

Here are my predictions for food trends that will be big in 2024.

Have some (slab) cake

While pies and other pastries have had their moment in the sun these past few years, the cake is due for its big moment. Look no further than slab cake at Quarter Sheets Pizza in Echo Park or micro bakery Redbread. Both have developed cult-like followings and are known to sell out fast.

Regionally specific cooking

Every year, the collective dining consciousness of Southern California continues to expand in new and exciting ways, perhaps due to how regionally specific dishes and diverse dining options take us to faraway places without needing to pack a bag.

A great example is the sheer variety of regionalized Mexican food that has become available, whether it be mariscos as they're made in Sinaloa, or tortas ahogadas as they're prepared in Jalisco. Beyond that, I foresee various Southeast Asian cuisines, including Laotian, Thai, and Filipino, will continue to grow in this category.

Post-post-pandemic dining experiences

The pandemic fundamentally changed how we eat, from how we order to where we sit. Since then, restaurants have had to get creative with their spaces that simultaneously embrace indoor and outdoor spaces. Places like Mirate in Los Feliz come to mind, where you enter the main dining room with an almost atrium-like area, well-ventilated with plenty of natural light which feels highly welcoming.

For more casual dining, ordering at the counter of restaurants feels very of-the-moment where you can grab an available seat or take it to go. Simplifying the order makes the dining process feel accessible and approachable.

Will Cheap Fast Eats stay cheap?

After hitting over 50 places in search of dishes for around $10 for my Cheap Fast Eats column, it’s becoming more and more of a challenge to find dishes for a decent price in centrally located areas. Perhaps due to the exorbitant cost of living in urban centers and inflation being at an all-time high, I wonder if finding affordable meals in certain places has become a thing of the past. But that doesn't mean we won't stop looking. So if you have a place to recommend with an excellent dish for around $10, please email me at gchabran@scpr.org or reach out via Instagram.

More non-alcoholic beverages

The interior of The New Bar on Lincoln Boulevard in Venice: It's a store, but also much more.

(

Nihal Shaikh

/

The New Bar

)

After visiting various cocktail establishments this past year, one thing that has stuck out is the large number of non-alcoholic options available, made with the same care as their alcoholic counterparts. Check out this brilliant list by writer Melanie Lockert. Cheers!

Challenging the notion of fusion cuisine

Fusion has always felt like shorthand when describing cuisine that draws from various influences. However, in a place like Los Angeles, an area with a sizable immigrant population and plenty of transplants, various influences, like the L.A. River, tend to flow freely through this city. Hence, mixing aspects of cultures comes naturally. It’s in our blood. So let's stop putting labels on it and just enjoy our food.

Natural wine hits its tipping point?

A decade ago, natural wine, organically grown without adding or removing anything, began growing in popularity, with natural wine bars popping up in various hip enclaves throughout Los Angeles and beyond. However, the question I’ve been pondering is whether people still care. More traditional wines will be found on people’s dinner tables. A simple pinot or a buttery chardonnay can do the trick instead of something intentionally funky. What was once cool and edgy has started to feel somewhat forced and gratuitous.

Plant-based food continues to rise

Make no mistake, I don't mean lab-grown meat, which feels passé for this year. Instead, I'm referring to eating all your vegetables. More and more, fruits and vegetables are becoming the central focus of dishes, not simply as sides or salads. More vegetable-forward dishes mean diners will opt out of fake stuff and go for a delicious roasted eggplant or fried artichoke as their main.

Less tipping

A customer pays at Colossus Bread in Long Beach.

(

Brian Feinzimer

/

for LAist

)

More and more businesses will do away with tipping, similar to places like Colossus Bread in Long Beach, and instead will raise their prices to pay their employees a liveable wage. Maybe you already frequent an establishment like this, or run one? If so, we'd love to hear about it and may include it in a future story! Email me at gchabran@scpr.org or reach out via Instagram.

Outer lands dining

I predict more new restaurants with exciting concepts and menus will set up shop outside the city confines of L.A. Look for more suburban settings or even rural areas like the desert. Some perfect examples of each would be Nilly's Burgers in Artesia and La Copine in Yucca Valley.